The twenty-first century brings with it some of the dark realities of the last century with respect to the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Worldwide, untold numbers of children are being systematically deprived of their human rights, dignity, and childhood through child prostitution, child pornography, and other sexploitation. Many of these children are routinely subjected to rape, beatings, displacement, drug addiction, psychological abuse, and other trauma, including exposure to the AIDS virus and a life with no future. This study examines the current state of international trafficking of children and other child sexual exploitation. Child sex tourism plays a major role in the child sex trade as prostituted youths are routinely lured or abducted into sexual slavery and sex-for-profit. Other prostitution-involved girls and boys are at the whim of pimps, pornographers, and other sexual exploiters. The global exploitation of children continues to plague society, in spite of international efforts to combat the proliferation of the child sex trade industry. Organizations such as ECPAT remain committed to addressing the central issues pertaining to the prostituting and sexual exploitation of children. © 2001, Sage Publications. All rights reserved.

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